Café Ghia

[Pigging by Wilfrid:  July 13, 2012]

Four years ago, a pizzeria called Roberta's opened on a grubby block of Bushwick in a neighborhood featuring light industry and a huge Boar's Head factory. 

Roberta's sneakily grew to become one of the most famous restaurants in the country.  Bushwick was touted as an up-and-coming gallery district.  Would more restaurants and amenities follow?  No.

The main change to the streets around Roberta's has been the increased evidence of rat infestation -- ironically, probably prompted by the digging of foundations for a new boutique hotel.  The restaurant scene?  Set in stone. 

The Morgan, an ambitious tavern-restaurant just a step from Roberta's was downgraded into a cheap Thai, then closed.  Life Café, for what it's worth, is set to close.  Northeast Kingdom remains a neighborhood bistro standby.  Anything else?  Well there's the chimi burger at BurgerItUp.  I was complaining about this to a friend (and manager of a restaurant in Williamsburg) who lives on  Jefferson Street, and he said:  "Café Ghia.  Pretty good. Try it."

And he was right.  Like nearby Mazelle, it's not much more than a corner bar; dark, a few tables.  Unlike Mazelle, where life really reduces to scotch eggs and dumplings, it does serve a reasonably full menu: not just the salads and sandwiches you'll find on the Website, but entrée specials, charcuterie and cheeses.

Simple stuff, but good.  My first impromptu dinner there featured a pork loin with mashed potatoes.  Yes, that's all.  A good hunk of tender roast pork, a heap of rough, creamy mash.  I started with some slippery, house-cured duck prosciutto and a basket of flatbread -- good when warm, chewy when cold.

I returned for a couple of other cold meats -- the chicken liver mousse, also made in house, and a sweet, herby wild board sausage.  The meats can be ordered individually, and they came with a bowl of fresh fruit.

Ghia tries to keep the neighborhood covered with vegetarian and vegan options.  The vegan stir fry was liked.

There was a steak on the menu, but I was drawn back to the pork again.  Pulled pork -- not quite a sandwich, but served over a slab of skillet cornbread.  A huge portion, topped with a little BBQ sauce and a lot of house made coleslaw.

Hearty, well-made food, kind prices (mains in the teens).  Be clear: unlike Roberta's, this is not a restaurant to travel for.  But if you're in the neighborhood, and don't want to wait an hour in Roberta's holding pen, this is currently one of the only alternatives. 

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